January 19, 2012

I thought of this post last night when my husband was humming the little ditty "all the other kids with the pumped up kicks ..." by Foster The People. It's a catchy tune and I had neither listened to nor understood the lyrics. Then my husband filled me in.

So, here are the five songs, in no particular order:

1. Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People

I'll let the great Wikipedia tell you why this boppy little ditty refers to homicidal thoughts of our delusional youth. Just best to stay clear of this altogether. Which brings me to the father song of homicidal youth ...

2. Jeremy by Pearl Jam

I love this song, but there can be no doubt how dark this song is. Enough said.

3. Mack The Knife by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht

This was originally called "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer" in Threepenny Opera. It has been covered by many, joked about by Steve Martin and even MacDonalds, but the lyrics talk about a man who robs, rapes, and murders. Again, better to stay away.

4. Tomorrow Belongs To Me by John Kander and Fred Ebb from Cabaret

This is a beautiful hymm that any country would be glad to have for its own national anthem, except for one fact - it symbolizes Nazi Youth. Deal breaker, right there.

5. Loser by Beck

Unless you have the comic chops of Scott Hamilton, Kurt Browning or their ilk AND you use this song as an exhibition number for the coveted medalist performances on the Sunday after the competition.

Christina Aguilara's "Candy Man" is a great example -- a fantastic 40s-retro beat, with a great swing. The lyrics, on the other hand, talk about how this "sweet talkin' candy man" is "makin' all the cherries pop" and for the ladies "all the panties drop." Nice for a seven-year-old girl, no?